The Story of Bank’s Field:
In 1977, 39.75 acres of land North of Pendeford Mill Lane was acquired by Wrottersley Parish Council (now Bilbrook Parish Council) from Wolverhampton Council for £31,000.
Initially, it was all rented as grazing land to the farmer whose farm was South of Pendeford Mill Lane. Over the years, the land grazed by cattle has been reduced to make way for the Bilbrook Allotments (1978) Bilbrook Recycling Centre. (1993) Bilbrook Skate Park (2009), so the land today looks as follows:-
The lease has maintained the land as open green space and contributed to the local agricultural landscape. Until 2022, it had largely been forgotten, as the Lease agreement left the maintenance to the farmer.
In 2022, Bilbrook Parish Council started work on its Neighbourhood Plan and realised that the land grazed also included the Moatbrook and land north of the Brook. Untended and undisturbed, the Brook and the land north of it has transformed into a haven for local wildlife, creating a valuable ecological asset providing a unique opportunity for biodiversity within Bilbrook. Around this time, the farmer informed the Parish Council that he was selling his farm and therefore would at some point be giving up the lease.
In response to the upcoming change in tenancy and the growing awareness of Bank’s Field’s ecological significance, Bilbrook Parish Council established a working group tasked with managing the future of the fields. At the same time, the name “Bank’s Field” was formally recognised, a tribute to the long-standing connection of the farmer and his father before him to this land.
Wetland creation.
In conjunction with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency, the land has been scraped to create a wetland area in the North East of the Field.
Tree Planting
As Part of their Trees for climate Project, Forest of Mercia with the help of local volunteers has planted over 1,000 trees in Bank’s Field
Wildlife Survey’s
Staffordshire Mammal Group surveyed the woodland at the back of Banks Field in February 2023. They spotted :
- 20 Harvest Mouse Nests: Finding up to 20 harvest mouse nests, both fresh and old, strongly indicates the presence of undisturbed, long grassland. Harvest mice are tiny, delicate mammals that build their nests in tall grasses and are sensitive to habitat disturbance. This number of nests suggests a stable environment for them.
- Otter Spraint: Fresh otter spraint is a sign of a healthy wetland environment nearby. Otters need clean water and plenty of fish, and their presence suggests the moatbroak is relatively unpolluted.
- Signs of Foxes: Foxes suggest a healthy source of prey.
- Field Voles: These would likely be the food source of the foxes.
- Badger Sett: A badger sett signifies an area with little human interference.
- Woodcock and Moorhens: Woodcock favor damp woodlands and scrubby areas, while Moorhens are wetland birds, needing ponds, ditches, or marshy ground. Their presence along with the other species, indicates relatively undisturbed habitats.Staffordshire Mammal Group also carried out a bat survey in September 2024. Four Species were identified: Common and Soprano Pipistrelle, Brown Long-Eared Bat and Noctule.
